


Fair Fell

by Tea_is_Not_Them



Category: Good Omens (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bad Communication, Bullying, Crowley is smitten, Dagon's rude ass, Fae Aziraphale, Fae Circles, Human Crowley (Good Omens), M/M, Name giving, Oneshot, Protective Aziraphale, fae, ineffable husbands, only slightly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:20:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23399854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tea_is_Not_Them/pseuds/Tea_is_Not_Them
Summary: Crowley was not liked well in his village, but he finds solace in the woods with his friend Fell and his Mother's paranoia.
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens), Beelzebub/Gabriel (Good Omens)
Comments: 18
Kudos: 137





	Fair Fell

Crowley’s mother told him very little in ways of rules. There was practically no containing such a ball of energy, but he knew well enough his mother meant the few rules she gave.  
Don’t talk back (unless it’s grave serious or she will whip him), don’t be ungentlemanly at the table, and don’t go into the woods alone. Don’t go into the woods hungry. Don’t go farther than a yard's length into the woods.

The rules always seemed silly to him but he listened to her. Until age 15, when his rebellious streak happened. The rebellious streak started with little things, like talking back quietly, or making crude jokes. Though he never did so around his mother. He was rebellious, not wanting a death sentence. 

He entered the woods carefully, sitting down on a moss covered log stretching his legs. The ground was a beautiful shade of green. It was nice. He heard soft noises and stood up. The ground gave way a little, as it was slightly muddy. As he walked he found himself walking in further than he meant to. The noise slowly got clearer, a voice was humming a beautiful tune, and it got louder as he approached.

He looked to see a boy, around his age. Looking up at him. Oh lord.

“Are you hurt?” He asked lamely. The other smiled and shook his head.

Crowley looked at him carefully, mostly accessing if that statement was true, but also looking over the other. He was handsome, in a way. He wasn't what one thought of when one thought of handsome in those parts. Instead of muscular and lean he was soft and gentle looking, with dainty perfectly clean hands. His hair a curly crown upon his head, so white it shone like a halo.

“What’s your name?”

Crowley stopped. He swears he remembers a story from his childhood to never give his name to anyone in the forest, lest the Fae hear and take him away from life as he knew it.  
“Call me AJ.”

The boy looked at him, mouthing the word carefully, as if tasting it on his tongue. A small look of disappointment covered his face, before being shoved away to delight.

“You may call me Fell.” The other replied, a twinkle in his eyes. It looked like he had accepted a challenge that Crowley didn't realize he had started.

“Would you like something to eat?” Crowley again politely declined before sitting across from the other. He had kept to one rule his mother gave, not to go into the forest hungry. He wasn't completely stupid. 

Perfectly soft with unblemished pale skin. Until he looked and saw golden marks on the outside of the other thigh. It was cold, and the other was wearing a ritualistic dress with careful slits up the sides. The dress was white and almost touched the forest floor when the other sat down. 

“Are you not cold?” He asked. He was close to taking his coat off to offer it to the boy. 

“No, I’m used to the weather.” Well he would keep his coat then, he was not used to the weather. 

They sit in silence again, as the blond finally continues his tune. The woods around them seem to fall silent as Fell sang, and Crowley couldn’t help but feel enraptured. He held perfect melody, his voice was deep but he hit higher notes like a perfect choir singer. He had never heard someone with such a pretty voice. 

Suddenly he was awake, the others face close to him to tell him softly, “you’d better get home. Terrible business to be out in the woods alone at night.”

And would you look at that, it was almost sun-down. He stood up quickly, sending a wave to the other before booting back home. When he arrived he saw his mother in the living room, eating a slice of bread. She looked at him and gestured to the kitchen. He would be making his own dinner tonight. And if he was lucky he was allowed to cook tomorrow. 

The last thought Crowley had before letting sleep capture him in his bed once more was “wait. Is Fell back home safely?”

———-

The second time he caught a chance to be in the woods was to run away from the other village kids. He was never well liked, though for what reasons he would never know. He ran into the woods and heard singing. He knew that voice anywhere, even after knowing the owner of it for a day.

“Fell?” He called carefully. Voice shaking from running halfway through the town square.

The singing stopped, “AJ?”

He called back an affirmative and followed the blonds voices. He found himself in the clearing again, the other boy having a cloth basket of jam and bread. He watched as the blond took a small rough knife and cut a small piece off, to then put jam on. As the other took a small bite he offered the basket.

“Would you like some?”

Crowley felt his mother’s voice in the back of his head tell him “foolish boy, never eat something given to you in the woods. Don’t take apples from trees or berries from vines, nor wine from a stranger.”

So he shook his head, and watched the other eat his piece with joy in his features. There was no mess either, and he ate almost silently with only little noises of content between bites. 

He really was beautiful. The boy had such pretty eyes, and careful hands.

“AJ? Are you quite alright?” Fell asked, a soft hand brushing over a bruise on his collarbone. He looked distraught. The soft caress made him shudder, but he just gave a fake confident smile.

“It’s alright Fell. I’m just always into fights.” Though many of those fights were one sided, with his about to get pummeled before he made a slippery escape. Now he had the woods to make a slippery escape into. 

The other hummed in a low tone, his lips downturned. He was displeased about what Crowley said. Crowley could tell whenever the blond felt something just by the tone of his humming. The redhead just sighed, as the other carefully looked over him.

“You know you could always fight back AJ.” Fell said carefully, setting the piece of half eaten jam covered bread down onto the basket. 

“No, I’d just get into more trouble than it’s worth.” Crowley knew this was the truth and Fell hummed.

“Do you play any instruments AJ?” Soft hands press the cloth baskets lid down, shedding darkness on the berries and jam and bread.

“No. My mother wanted me to play the lyre but I’m bad with music.” Crowley replies genuinely.

Fell hummed in affirmative, and then began to sing another song. Crowley smiles as he listens to the lyrics, a song about lost love, a song about an outcast. He almost wished that he could play the lyre as well as Fell could use his voice. Maybe they could have a duet together if he learned. 

He was really hungry by this point and got up, his legs feeling like jelly once more.

“Bye Fell, my mother might have my head if I don’t return back.” He said, and he meant it, his mother was a stern woman and she would have him sooner to bed with a sore ass than an empty stomach. He was cooking that night anyway, and she would give him the disappointed look that he hated so much.

“Of course, you know your way back don’t you?” Fell’s voice was musical, and Crowley nodded at him. He waved, and was waved back to. The singing started up, more forlorn than before as he made his way back into the town.

————

Shit shit shit. He had made a horrible decision, he ran away from Hastur and Ligur, the local blacksmiths boys, straight into the woods once more. This time they followed suit before Crowley fell and slammed face first into a moss covered log. The moss was a cushion but it still hurt like a bitch. 

Hastur and Ligur stood over him and then, they looked away. Fear colored their features as they ran back into the safety of the village. Something scared them off. He was worried it was a wild animal, but as he looked up and saw nothing.

He groaned at his hurt face, nothing broken but a swollen cheek and definite cuts. That would be fun to explain to his mother.

“AJ?” It was Fell!

“Fell! I’m over here.” He got up and wiped his face before walking in the direction of Fell.

The blond saw his face and let out a small gasp. He was sitting down on a stump and a wet cloth was cleaning his face. It was the bottom of Fells dress thing! Oh his blood would stain.

“Fell your clothes-“

“-Don’t mean anything. You could get an infection!” Crowley let himself get wiped down. The blond smiled carefully at his work of Crowley’s face.

“You should be alright. Now my dear, who were those horrid little fellows following you?” Crowley touched his face and hissed as he pressed a little too hard on a bruise. Fell smacked his hand away.

“Hastur and Ligur. They’re the blacksmiths spawn.”

Fell hummed and ran a hand through Crowley’s hair.

“Well, you’re safe here.”

A shiver ran down his spine.

————  
AJ woke up on the log, his head was laid up on something so soft it was unreal. He sighed in content before realizing where he was. Crowley scrambled and looked at the other boy. Fell was singing and stopped. He looked almost sad that Crowley got up.

“Are you alright dear?”

“What time is it?” He had to be home before three today or his mother would have a fit.

“Oh judging by the sun it’s around five, why?”

“Oh I’m late! Sorry gotta go, my mother is going to kill me!” He sent a quick wave to Fell before running off. The sound of forlorn notes followed him until he hit the path back home.

“Where were you!” His mother yelled angrily. She looked like she had been crying.

“I was hiding from some other kids and fell asleep.” Crowley mumbled. If he said anything about the woods he would never be allowed to see them again, or see Fell.

He was hugged around the middle and felt like he was going to snap under the hug, “oh my darling boy I thought you went into the woods. You know how dangerous it is out there. I worry.”

Crowley nodded and hugged his mom, and she fretted over his face, he said he fell down and he was telling the whole truth. She made him set the table, but he did it gladly, he was outside for hours and hadn’t had lunch. They ate carefully, and Crowley smiled at his mom.

As he went to bed he flipped through a book, he didn’t read, but his mind was elsewhere.

Whose kid was Fell?

—————  
He was humiliated. Nothing would ever save him from this embarrassment, he ran far away from the scene. The laughter followed him until his legs carried him to the woods. He was crying.

Someone was holding him. He clutched at the fabric of their shirt and shuddered. Looking up he saw it was Fell.

“Hello dear, come along.” Crowley took the other hand, and he was led to a different clearing. It had beautiful flora and a circle of toadstools in the middle. Fell gave the circle a wide berth as he sat Crowley down on a stump.

“What happened?” He asked, wiping away tears with his thumb.

“I- ngk, I wish I could just leave.” Crowley said, and realized that he shouldn’t say that. But it already tumbled out.

“What’s stopping you?” Fell fixed a piece of Crowley’s hair tenderly. He felt himself soften at the touch.

“My mother. I couldn’t leave her, and if I asked to move she wouldn’t understand.” He shuddered, and let soft arms encase him. A hand ran along his back soothingly, while the other was carefully fussing up his hair. He let himself be hugged. His head tucked neatly underneath the other boy's chin.

It was safe. And he felt better than he had before. They stayed like that for a while, and Fell hummed a soft crooning lullaby to him. With a sigh, Crowley extracted himself from the hold with a thankful smile.

“Now, What did they do to you this time AJ?”

Crowley turned red, and wished the other would drop the subject. No, the blond was dead set in finding out about his time at the village. Would he hate him?

“I- my eyes are weird. And I don’t have friends or a girlfriend. So they call me names and try to get rid of me when they see me in the town.” He stumbled over words and Fell gave a soft smile, his hand was carefully soothing at his back. The touch was nice.

“I’m your friend dear. And you don’t need a girlfriend, if you don’t desire to date one.”

Crowley’s eyebrow quirked in questioning.

“Not everyone wants a girlfriend my dear, some wish for a male partner, some wish for none. It is a normal human thing, well, it’s normal for almost anything that lives.” And Crowley smiles again. Fell is sitting there rambling and lecturing. He enjoyed the truths he was given, nothing like fairytales dipped from the other tongue. He could trust the other, because he had never lied to him. Not that he could tell. 

He hummed and felt a hand squeeze his own. Fell smiled and began singing once more. Does he ever stop? Crowley wonders how his vocal cords handle being used all the time, and how they always make the right note. Though he doesn’t ask, because that might be considered rude. Crowley was not rude, a nuisance and annoyance? Yes. Rude? No.

Unlike the other times Crowley has found sanctuary here, Fell stands up.

“We must leave.” The Forest is quiet. Crowley won’t argue with the serious look in Fell's eyes.

As he is led away he hears something, and Fell keeps a hard grip on his hand.

“Was it the fae?” He joked.

Fell looked at him and smiled weary, “we don’t have to worry about the Fae. It was just a mountain cat. You’d might want to head home though.”

Crowley was curious, “where do you live? You’re always here in the woods.”

Fell laughed softly, like bells in the wind, “I live near here, not in your village though I’m afraid.”

Crowley nodded, and went back to the village. His shoes made soft pattering on the stone. Looking around it’s much before time to go home, so he could probably slip into the market and buy himself something to snack on.

He carefully buys a peach, and walks in the clearer part of town. He’s thinking.

“Crowley. Just the boy we were looking for!” He turns to see Michael. Oh boy.

“Leave me alone Michael. I’m too tired for this.” He groans as the other comes closer.

“I just wanted to ask why you were all in the forest every time you got chased.” It sounded innocent but Crowley knew by now this was about to be a brutal fight. Could he not catch a break? He was trying to eat and then go home and do something other than get his face pummeled in. 

“It’s the only place you will leave me alone isn’t it?” He grumbles. The part of the peach where he’s bit into leaks juice onto his hand.

“Well why don’t you just stay in there freak! You don’t belong here. Stay in the woods with your fairy family like a good changeling.” Crowley looks confused.

“I know full well I’m not a changeling. I can lie first, second I don’t feel the need to count things, I don’t even like counting.” He hums. He’s too far from the woods to run there, but he could get home with less scrapes if he ran. He’s only heard distant stories about changelings, but he's sure he isn't one. 

Michael looks at him with crudely watching eyes. He says nothing else, before swinging.

Crowley does not take the hit, he runs to the direction of home and hears footfalls behind him. Carefully he skips over rocks and keeps himself from falling on his face. He knew that would be a death sentence here. He can see the roof of his house! Michael is slowing down.

He’s home, and his mother is out in the front, so he slows down, knowing that no one will mess with him while his mother watches. His mother scares every neighborhood child and adult. He doesn’t know how but he’s happy she does.

She looks up at him and smiles, “home on time for once.”

Crowley nods and takes a bite of the peach. Once he’s inside he sighs. Usually the day goes the other way around. Be bullied and then see Fell. Kind of funny to him. Be bullied, see Fell, get bullied again.

He wishes he could leave. He wants to go away from his town full of horrible people. Maybe he could go to Fells town with him one day.

He sighs as his heart aches. Crowley knew he liked Fell. In a way that his mother had liked his father. And Fell was so nice to him, gentle and caring. No matter what he could be sure that Fell was there, and that made him smile and blush.

He looked outside his window and saw a familiar head of blond hair. Fell!

He opened his window and waved, and the other looked over and grinned at him while waving back. He wishes Fell would come into the yard, but he didn’t step any closer than he had to. But he sat there and shared looks with Crowley before he walked off into the woods once more.

He smiled before getting distracted by his mother, who wanted him to start the fireplace in the living room. 

———-

It became a nightly thing. He would look outside and see Fell, and when his mother was asleep, Fell would sing carefully. Crowley fell asleep many times when the boy sang lullabies, and awakened to his head laid in his arms upon the sill with sunlight pouring into the room.

When he didn’t meet up with him during the day in the woods, he would be sure he saw him at night. His heart fluttered. He liked this boy, very much.

———-

He stumbled into the woods crying, and felt familiar arms around him. Sobs wracked his body as he heard familiar shushing tones. Sweet nothings into his ears made him feel better and worse as he shook.

Humming, he listened to the humming and felt his body start to relax at the familiarity. He was safe here, he was safe in the woods, he was safe with Fell. He felt betrayed, like someone had pulled the knife right out of his chest just to jab it back in and twist. It hurt.

“What did they do to you my dear?” It was less a question for the sobbing Crowley to answer, and he was becoming more certain that it was said to Fell himself. He took a breath, and another, listening to Fells faint heartbeat. It was faint, but it was there. 

“My- my-“ he sobbed and was interrupted.

“You don’t have to tell me right now, just let it all out at your own time.” And Crowley smiles, because the inquisitive boy comforting him unusually wanted answers. A soft balm over his hurting heart.

“My mother is agreeing to an arranged marriage.” It wasn’t unheard of for certain families to arrange marriages for their children. In his village it was only a matter of time. If you didn’t pick one, your mother did.

“Oh my dear. I’m sorry.” Fell pet his shoulder, “I suppose that means no more wood traveling?”

Crowley shook his head frantically, “no! I'm not going to get married! I like- being here! And I couldn’t just leave my best friend.”

Fell smiles softly, “I could help you.”

Crowley looks at him confused, because he was dense no matter the age, “What do you mean?”

“If you gave me your name you could stay here.”

Crowley froze. Months of knowing this person he never once asked for his real name. His mind told him to run, never look back. Don’t give him your name because he will take you away forever. He should have seen it. He looked less human than he did when Crowley wasn't looking. He didn't have chicken legs like he had been told, but his ankles now look unnatural. His plush body looked like it was made of clouds and moss. He was a creature of these woods, and now Crowley felt like an idiot.

Fell looked at him and bit his lip, “Ah well. I suppose this is the last time we will see each other.” He looked sad, ashamed.

Crowley’s let his brain work, “I- you’re, you’ve. Ngk. You’re fae aren’t you?”

Fell nodded in an unnatural way. It was shaky and tense.

“Was this all a plot to get my name?” He shouted. He felt betrayed again, and hot anger courses through his lungs.

“No! No! I wasn’t going to ask your name but you sounded so lonely and I- I wanted to be your friend. At first it was that, but then you became my friend and I didn’t want-“

Crowley felt hysterical, and got up. Fell reached for him but then aborted the movement. He looked up at him with sad eyes, “Well, I suppose you know the way home.”

And he did.

——————  
It had been awhile.

Crowley looked out his window, more for his curiosity than for want, and didn’t see Fell. He had left him alone. A pit grew in his stomach as he left. His heart twisted and churned. He was a fool! He should have known, the asking of a name, trying to share food, singing and never lying to him.

He didn’t lie to him. Not once.

And that made Crowley feel even worse. He wanted to go back. To talk to him. Because he wanted so badly for this to be a dream. Fae are bad. They steal away children and take and steal and kidnap.

But Fell never did that. He could have walked Crowley’s skinny ass into the toadstool circle and then it would have been over. He would have been taken away to work and slave for the Fae.

He would have been Fell’s property until he died. Or until Fell wished him dead.

But he didn’t. He didn’t take him away, he didn’t push for anything after the first meeting. Nothing unusual. He cared for Crowley more than most did and he wasn’t human.  
He put on his shoes and ventured to the woods.

———  
“Fell?”

The singing cut off. The air was tense.

“Aj.” Came the terse voice of his friend. Were they still friends? Could he salvage this?

“Fell. I- I came to apologize.”

He heard shuffling and there was Fell, soft and ethereal, walking closer to him. He walked soft steps and then Fell darted forward to stop him.

He pointed to a circle of toadstools Crowley almost stepped into. He walked around in and hugged Fell hard, the Faerie froze. He felt warm arms around him as well. He felt unnatural, but in a good way. Warm and soft. 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have ran off. I should have trusted you-“

“It’s ok AJ. I understand.” He sounded like it hurt to say it, but he understood.

“That doesn’t make it ok. You could have taken me anytime and you didn’t. And-and! You were my friend. You care for me more than anyone else, except my mother but.” Crowley stumbled out and Fell was smiling softly at him, small tears fell from his eyes. They were gold. Which Crowley found odd but he wiped them away.

“Thank you.”

Crowley smiled, “we will always be friends right?”

Fell smiled bigger, “as long as you live my dear boy.”

Crowley laughed and they sat down. He toes off his boots, knowing now that they had iron in them. And he took the betrothal ring off, it was too made of iron and silver. He sat in on his left boot. Fell watched in careful awe, and looked touched.

“I stand by what I said before. If you ever want to leave, I will take you with me, no questions asked.” Fell said, and instead of weirded out now Crowley felt a little softer around the heart.

He knew Fell. He wouldn’t do anything bad to him.

Crowley smiled and nodded, “I have two years and three months till I’m to be married.” His face soured.

Fell hummed, “to whom?”

“Dagon, the fisher's daughter.” Fell scrunched a nose at that. Crowley nodded.

“I’m sorry my dear.”

“S’not your fault."

They sat and Fell sang a joyful song this time. Forlorn was forgotten to the happy tune of the night. Crowley surprised them both by humming along. While he was bad at singing, Fell encouraged his humming and it was a crude harmony that they wove.

———

“AJ. Wake up. It’s four in the morning and I think you should get home.”

Crowley stood up quickly and jostled his things. He put on his boots and the ring before hugging Fell goodbye, being careful of the metals.

Fell hummed and fixed his hair for him, “off you trot my dear.”

Crowley made a hmpf noise and was off, the smiling face of Fell making his morning much better. He was back in his window a few minutes before his mother came in.  
“Up you get! We are meeting with Dagon and her parents today.”

Crowley groaned, “why Dagon?”

“Her family is lovely! Now get up and wash up, you smell like moss.” The door was closed behind her and Crowley was ready in minutes, he washed his hair and hands and they were off.

He looked to the forest one last time before it slipped out of view and saw the halo of blond hair. He smiled and waved discreetly, before walking once more with his mother.

———  
It went horrible. Everything about the trip was terrible, behind the adults back Dagon would trip him and ‘accidentally’ pull his hair. He could do nothing about it either, the adults wouldn’t care.

The adults did not like him, well, Dagon's parents didn’t like him. They complimented his hair and then underhandedly made several rude comments about his eyes and posture. He sat straight up after the first comment, and kept his head down.

He hated Dagon, and he hated Dagon’s family. He couldn’t do this. Marriage into this family would be hell, and he would rather be slaving away in a mine all day than this.  
It was raining when they left, and so Crowley was ushered inside to not get a cold.

“Mother can I just not get married?”

His mother looked at him with sharp eyes, “no. We have to carry the family name and bloodline.”

Crowley sighed and discreetly rolled his eyes, which got him a smack upside the head. With a huff he went to his room. Looking outside he saw Fell in the rain, he was singing from what Crowley could tell, and hadn’t seen Crowley arrive.

Anthony J Crowley. His full name. He wondered what Fell would do with his name. Would he just let him stay in the woods with him. Or would he take him to Fae land? What would happen? Would his mother be sad?

Never mind that. Crowley hummed and rapped on the window pane, and Fell looked over. A smile was on the blond's face.

————  
It was his birthday. It had been two weeks before Crowley could see Fell, and he brought something to eat. Cake and honey and a bit of wine he slipped from a merchant passing through town.

He smiled at his basket of goodies and walked into the woods. He heard the singing and saw Fell seconds later.

“I brought offerings.”

They laughed together and sat down in the clearing, and laid out the food. Fell hummed and smiled at him.

“Thank you my dear. I got you something as well!”  
Crowley hummed, and realized that he had told Fell that his birthday was today.

“Aren’t I not supposed to take that?”

“Uh,, you brought offerings so it’s a fair trade.” He said with finality and Crowley smiled. The childish aura of smugness made his snigger a little. Fell sounded like he had solved a puzzle.

It was a carefully made crown of evergreen, mint, and red flowers, “they won’t ever wilt.”

Crowley felt tears in his eyes as he put it on. It was nice, comfortable. They shared honey and cake and wine. The honey hitting Fell harder than the wine. Fell was giggling about something and Crowley was snickering along as well.

They sat there. Crowley’s head in Fell’s lap, carefully so that the crown of flowers wouldn’t break.

“You should head home AJ. It’s a full moon and who knows what will happen.”

Crowley nods and gets up, and with a surge of courage from the wine, he kisses Fell’s cheek. Fell flushed and laughed.

“Get home you fiend.” He giggled, and Crowley smiled.

———  
When he got home he placed the crown carefully on his nightstand. He smiled and traced his fingers over his face. Fell. He was in love with Fell.

This was bad. But Crowley couldn’t be bothered by how wrong it was for a human and Fae. He just giggled softly into the pillow like the drunk teen he was, and fell asleep.

——-  
A year and a half goes by. They meet up in intervals, their friendships stronger than before now. They knew each other’s secrets, but not the other person's name.

Three months until he was to be married. He hated it. Dagon hated it and him. He didn’t like Dagon. She was pretty, he would admit. They were the only two redheads in town. She had nice eyes, but he wasn’t into her.

He was head over heels for his best friend. And it felt like cheating to be married to her really. If he was married he would have to have kids. If he was married he would have to change, he would have to be a father. He would have to have a job that wasn’t foraging. He would have to stop everything his life was.

No more foraging, not more picnics in the woods, no more Fell. Even if he hadn’t met Fell he would hate to be married to Dagon. Even if none of this ever happened to him he would hate to be married. It was just a fact about Anthony Crowley.

“I can’t do it, Fell!” He groaned drunkenly. Fell was sober as could be and shushed him and ran hands through red hair.

“I know my dear.”

“I jus- ugh!”

“But wouldn’t it be nice to have a human family?” He asked. Fell was confused, and Crowley groaned. A small flare of annoyance surged through the redhead. Fell didn't understand how gross it would be to be married to Dagon.

“No!” He snapped but then shrank down, “human families are overrated.” He mumbled.

Fell nodded and smiled at him. Crowley smiled up at him again, his head placed in a soft pillowy lap. The world felt unreal, and Crowley hummed.

He kissed Fell.

Fell stopped him, “my dear are you sure?”

Crowley looked at him, and he saw Fell’s eyes widen, and then he was being kissed again.

“Yes I’m sure. I don’t want a human family. I love you.” He was desperately trying to get the other to see that he meant it.

Fell hummed into the kiss, and then they parted, pressing their foreheads together.

“I love you too my dear.”

A shiver of joy went up Crowley’s spine and he laughed in breathless awe. He was so happy. Then he remembered.

“I can't get married.”

Fell looked at him with a sad smile, and put a soft hand on Crowley’s face. Without a word, he was kissed soft and sweet.

“Go home and rest my dear. If you feel the same sober as if you are drunk you may come back.” Crowley wouldn’t argue with him. And Fell carefully led him back to the edge of the woods. Crowley was home in his bed in minutes.

He was asleep.  
————  
The next day he went out early to see Fell.

The Faerie was singing and looked at him, he could see elation in those blue eyes, he had looked away before he saw the other emotions swimming in the blonds eyes like piranhas. He rushed forward and hugged the blond hard. Fell gasped but hugged back as hard.

“I love you.”

“And I love you.” Fell answered. It was soft and careful. “That’s why I must say, you need to go. I can’t let you stay with me-“

Crowley couldn’t believe his ears, “What?”

“My dear if you stay with me, if you change your mind you can’t leave! You would be trapped and I can’t do that to you-“

“No! I wouldn’t-“

“You can end a human marriage. You can’t end giving yourself away to the Fae.” And Fell kissed him, this one full of grief and sorrow. It was passionate as if it was the last, and it probably was.

“No-“ he grasped for the blond as he ran away, but he couldn’t follow. Something held him back and he went home and cried.

His mother held him as he sobbed, not knowing what was wrong.

————  
It was his wedding day. He was dressed up nice and handsome. His hair was done, he was practically untouchable. He stood at the altar. But instead of resigned he felt despair. Ten minutes until the bride.

The venue was beautiful, the church gardens with lights and torches all over. The grass was ouch and the moss grew perfectly with tulips and orchids. The guests sat on white chairs, ones that were always used in traditional outdoors weddings. They were looking at him with something in their eyes. He felt sick.

This wasn’t right. He couldn’t get married.

He couldn’t leave now though.

He couldn’t.

He could. He judged how far his home was and how far the woods were. He wouldn’t do this. And the woods were his safe haven. No matter Fell being there or not. Which he hadn't seen the familiar face in all the times he had tried to find him. 

And he ran. People called after him, his mother yelling his name in anger and despair, but he wouldn’t stop. He was being chased, not by people, but by a life he couldn’t live with. He had to make it.

Someone grabbed his arm and he saw a family friend of the Dagon’s. He was angry looking and panting.

“You disrespectful-“ he tore his arm away and ran faster.

He was in the woods. He didn’t stop, he ran and ran. And then he was in a clearing. There was singing.

It had been months since he saw him, and he had stumbled just perfectly to where he was.

“AJ!” Fell looked alarmed at him and walked over, “Are you- no! AJ! No you have to go back!”

“No. I ran. And if I go back nothing will work as it was supposed to. I can’t-“ Crowley sucked in a breath, and the shorter male hugged him. He held on tightly to the blond Fae and cried.

“I can’t.” And he was shushed.

“I know.”

\------------

The two sat in silence, a careful one. They were both holding onto the other tightly, and they could hear the village in an uproar.  
“I can’t go back.”

“I know.”

They stood in eachothers arms, still, as Fell watched the faint figures of humans searching for AJ. He must have done something incredibly foolish. He can’t take him.

He should leave AJ to the humans so that he would have a normal life. But he knew that would never happen. He didn’t want to take it, but now he had full allowance to do so. He loved AJ.

Crowley sighed, his voice bouncing the other out of his mind. He placed his chin on the smaller males shoulder, and he shuddered again.

“Anthony. Anthony J Crowley.”

Fell looked at him with alarm, “Anthony J Crowley.” The words felt like something had simultaneously released his heart and grabbed it. Fell looked like he was tasting it. He felt like something had changed. Fell had claimed his name.

“Anthony.” Crowley shuddered, but this time not out of fear. Something crept up his spine, a hand, carefully on his lower back.

“I usually prefer Crowley.” The human joked, the air feeling tense. And after the joke the air was light again.

“Of course, Crowley.” The human shuddered again, again, not in fear but something akin to joy. This was not what it was supposed to feel like.

Fell smiled at him again, soft and sweet.

“Aziraphale.” Crowley looked shocked, even if he gave the other his name, he didn’t expect the Faerie one back. He nodded.

“Aziraphale.” He rolled the syllables in his mouth, elongating certain parts of the word. He smiled.

“I’ll still call you Fell. I know how your name is important.” And he knew once a Fae claimed your name, no other Fae could do the same. Aziraphale could tell it to his friends if he had them, and they couldn’t take his human.

They stood and hugged each other. Crowley felt free.

“You never have to go back.” Aziraphale said softly, “never again if you want that.”

Crowley smiled and squeezed the Fae harder, “I won’t want to. Not when I have you.”  
———-  
The town was in uproar. Crowley had dipped! He ran away from the altar like a coward. The area was quiet at first, and then townsmen began to chase him. He was fast, the scrawny thing.

Bee watched in despair after calling her son's name. He left! Right as his wedding was to happen he ran off. She should have known he would do it. He hated the idea of marriage, he fought against the marriage with a fevour that had only died down slightly after one day of crying and something akin to loss. She followed at a sedate pace, and noticed the men running after him.

The blacksmith caught his arm, and he tore his arm away and ran faster. Bee walked after him, her dress hiked up to her knees so not to be dirty. She couldn’t let him run to- the woods.

He ran into the woods and a few followed him in. But he weaves through the brush like he knew the forest as his own home. She watched Sandy run after him and suddenly he tripped. The other men had fallen while trying to follow her son. He knew the woods. 

She followed suit and couldn’t find him. Then she caught the feeling. Her heart and throat constricted.

“Anthony J Crowley.” That wasn’t her son's voice. Oh god he just gave his name away. She saw the figure he spoke to. A blond Fae, with blue eyes and golden marks upon his thighs. They were holding each other as she once held Gabriel. With a sad sigh she knew that she would never see her son again. It was resignation only a weary mother could feel. She had lost her husband, and her son.

And she left the clearing. Sonless, and without family now. She shouldn’t have forced him to marriage but it seemed the only way. It seems that he found himself a lover that she wouldn’t have approved of. He knew that fae, held him like he was a lifeline. She hoped he was happy. In her heart of hearts, she knew he was. 

With a sigh and said a quick hopeful nothing to to air and returned to the church gardens. The men that ran after her son are back now.  
“He won’t come back.”

A roar of outrage spilt through the air, and she glared at them from the stairway. The marble stairs made her taller and much scarier looking.

“He has been taken by a faceless Fae.” The town gasped, and she nodded her agreement. The whispers were quiet before one brave soul, the youngest Dagon asked.

“How do we know he hasn’t just run home?”

“You may check my home, but my son is not there. I saw him give away his name myself.” The chattering quieted down.

“The marriage is cancelled.” She declared and walked back to her home on the outskirts. She sighed and let her grief weigh her down by the soles of her shoes.

Looking around the home felt empty, and she walked to Crowley’s room. The flower crown began to wilt before her eyes, and she wept.

As she looked outside she saw a flash of red and white, and dancing bodies. She watched and saw her son and the Faerie dancing joyfully as if they had just been married, and not that one had ran away from his, before walking into a circle of toadstools.

And they were gone.


End file.
